§ Sir E. Knatchbull, seeing the noble Lord, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, in his place, had two questions to put to him. In the first place, he wished to know when the Duty on Coals was to cease? and secondly, whether any allowance was to be made to the trade for the stock on hand?
§ Lord Althorpsaid, that the duty was to cease on the 1st of March; and with regard to the second question, the best answer he could give was, that, according to the information he had received, the stock on hand would be nearly exhausted by that time, particularly in the neighbourhood of the metropolis. It was not intended that coals shipped for London in the interval should be subject to duty, if not disposed of before the 1st of March.
Mr. S. Wortleythought, that the repeal of the coal duty would be attended with very little advantage, unless some measure were adopted for removing the present regulations in the port of London for the sale of coals. Those regulations affected the price of coals, he was persuaded, more than the duty. He therefore wished to know, whether the noble Lord had any measure to repeal them in contemplation.
§ Lord Althorpsaid, he was not at present prepared to bring forward any proposition on the subject. The noble Lord, in reply to a question from Mr. O'Connell, as to the operation of the coal duties and regulations in Ireland, said that all the local Acts would be taken into consideration, and a general measure adopted.
§ Sir M. W. Ridleywas desirous to know whether the noble Lord intended to take 914 off the impost called "the Richmond Shilling," levied on coals exclusively which are shipped in the Tyne?
§ Lord Althorpwas anxious to do so, but the matter required some consideration.
§ Mr. Tennantwished to know if coals were to be exported to the colonies duty free?
§ Lord Althorpsaid, it was not intended that coals should be sent to the colonies duty free, but the rate of duty would be lower than at present.